The Biting Stonecrop is common all over Britain. It is abundant in
summer on rocks and in sandy places by the seaside, and you find it
growing inland too.
The Stonecrop grows in large tufts close to the ground. It is a small
plant with a great many little branches, and these branches are of two
kinds. Some are thickly covered with fat, juicy leaves. These leaves are
very tiny, and they are laid thickly all round the stem in the same way
as the scales are laid on a fir-cone. Those leaves nearest the end of
the branch are often tinged with red.
On the other branches of the Stonecrop the fat green leaves are not
nearly so closely packed together, and near the end of each branch grow
two or more flowers.
These flowers are golden yellow, and they have five pointed petals which
resemble the rays of a star, and there are ten yellow stamens lying flat
out, on and between these petals.
In the centre of the flower you see five fat little seed-vessels
standing up. After the yellow petals have all fallen off, these
seed-vessels lie down and show five points like a small green star.